11-member government negotiation team

President Ashraf Ghani has tasked an 11-member delegation headed by his chief of staff Abdul Salam Rahimi for holding direct talks with the Taliban. (Taliban Talks; Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai's own team)

This comes as US Special Representative for Afghanistan Peace and Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad recently asked the Afghan government to constitute an authoritative delegation for decisive talks with the Taliban.

Headed by President Chief of Staff Abdul Salam Rahimi, the 11-member government delegation includes three women.

Paktia Governor Shamim Katawazai said he worked hard for peace and direct talks with the Taliban for the last three months and persuaded the US to enter direct negotiations with the Taliban and his these efforts might be the reason he was chosen in the government delegation.

He said so far he had not heard from a formal source about inclusion of his name in the list.

Another source in the Presidential Palace said Rahimi would lead the delegation in talks with the Taliban but names of other members were yet to be finalized.

Another source also claimed to have seen the list but added representatives of five major political forces were absent from the list.

Some individuals from certain political movements who are currently government members have been made part of the list, the source said.

He said unfortunately the delegation which the Afghan government wanted to appoint for talks with the Taliban lacked political knowledge and they were more technical persons.

Background:

Some political analysts claim that the government is misleading the route of the peace process by shaping a board under the title of ‘Peace Consultation Board’.

They say that the members of the board were appointed by the president’s office and not all competent to hold talks with Taliban, but also there are people in the board who have not been involved in the peace process and have less information about Taliban.

President Ghani’s office is yet to comment on the peace consultation board, but it is expected to be soon announced officially.

The board is reportedly planned to replace the existing High Peace Council that was formed by the former president Hamid Karzai in 2010 to encourage Taliban militants to join peace process.(20181124)